The economic hardships that normally come with the month of January are giving the residents of Mombasa's Mtongwe area a very big headache.
According to the residents here, the month is seemingly 'not moving', a statement they can only substantiate using their simple budgets.
With two weeks remaining to the end of the month, things are not going to be very easy for them, at least if their utterances is anything to go by.
The residents are expecting tough times ahead as most of them claim to be going without food. They said they are also are forced to foot to work, something that is leaving them with little hope, considering that there are still two more tough weeks remaining before they breathe a sigh of relief.
Dan Emukule, a Mtongwe resident, said that he has had it rough since the beginning of the year. He however admits that he has himself to blame for his extravagant spending during the festive season, a move he now believes is the root of all his problems. To him, life has not been normal since January 1, 2016.
“I have been through enough this January. But again, I regret my own actions. I over spent in December,” said Emukule, a father of two.
Evans Imujaro, a security guard, said he was forced to send his wife to the village. He said he has accrued a huge debt as he attempts to make ends meet.
“I owe my local shopkeeper Sh2,500. I will be left with nothing come end month,” said Imujaro.
The January menace has not spared Jennifer Kyallo, a mother of two, who says that she has been forced to do odd jobs in a bid to cater for her family.
Clearly, the hardships that the residents here grapple with show the intensity of January, which many residents unanimously agree to be the toughest month of the year.